Policies

Students on academic probation or academic suspension are required to meet with an academic advisor every semester that their Texas State GPA is below a 2.00. Please call 512-245-1852 to schedule an appointment. 

For more information about academic probation or suspension, please look under "University Policies" below. 

Most first-year students are required to meet with PACE Advisors for their first year at Texas State University. Unless otherwise informed, please call 512-245-7223 (PACE) to schedule an appointment. Once you have completed your first year at Texas State, you can then schedule an appointment with your college's advising center. 

If you are unable to attend your scheduled advising appointment, we ask that you notify us at your earliest convenience. To cancel or reschedule, please contact the Liberal Arts Advising Center at 512-245-1852.

Please note failure to attend or cancel a scheduled advising appointment will result in a ‘no-show.’ If students accumulate three (3) no-shows during an academic year, they lose the ability to schedule advising appointments and should plan to see an advisor during Drop-In Advising. No-show counts are reset at the start of each fall semester.

Upcoming drop-in days are posted on the Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center homepage. 

If a student’s Texas State GPA is less than 2.00 at the end of a fall or spring semester, they will be placed on academic probation.

Students placed on academic probation are given two probationary semesters (fall or spring terms) to return to good academic standing by raising their Texas State GPA to a 2.00 or higher. Students will have a hold on their account for every semester that they are on academic probation and will be required to meet with an advisor to lift their hold. 

If a student’s Texas State GPA does not increase to a 2.00 or higher after two probationary semesters, they will be academically suspended. 

Academic suspension requires students to not enroll at Texas State for a pre-determined amount of time. Students may appeal their suspensions if they have documented extenuating circumstances. Please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor to discuss suspension status and appeals. 

Information regarding schedule changes can be found on the Office of the University Registrar’s website. Deadlines for schedule changes, course drops, and full semester withdrawal are published each term in the official Academic Calendar. 

For assistance, contact the Office of the University Registrar.

ADDS: Students may add classes to their schedule if they have no holds on their accounts. Refer to the Academic Calendar for course add deadlines. 

DROPS and W's: 
In 2007, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1231, which provides that, except for specific instances of good cause, undergraduate students entering as first time freshmen at a Texas public institutions of higher education in the fall of 2007 or later will be limited to a total of six dropped courses during their undergraduate career. This law applies to courses dropped at public institutions of higher education in Texas, including community and technical colleges, health science centers that offer undergraduate programs, and universities. Some courses will not count against the six-drop limit. These include courses dropped at independent or private Texas institutions, courses dropped while the student is still enrolled in high school, developmental courses, non-funded courses or courses dropped at colleges in other states. For the purposes of this law, a 'dropped course' is defined as a course that is dropped after the census date, but before the last day to drop.

Dropping a class is an official action whereby a student drops one or more courses, yet remains enrolled in at least one hour. Students who drop a class from their schedule before the census date of the semester are eligible for a full refund for their class. If dropped before the census date, the class will not be marked on a student's transcript (i.e. no 'W' will post). Please consult with your advisor before dropping a class to verify how dropping will affect your schedule, degree plan, and/or financial aid. Refer to the registration instructions for details on dropping a class.

Classes dropped after the census date will post as a "W" on a student's transcript. If you have more than 6 W's on your transcript, please consult your advisor to determine your excessive hours status. 

WITHDRAWING: Withdrawing from the university (dropping all classes) is an official action whereby a student informs the University Registrar, who in turn informs the instructor(s) of record, that the student will cease attending all classes in which he or she is enrolled. Depending on when a student drops their classes, they may need to reapply to the university to return in the future. 
 

1. The deadline to receive an automatic “W” is the first 60 percent of the term. Refer to the academic calendar on the Office of the University Registrar’s website for the most current dates.
2. After the automatic 'W' period, faculty assign grades to students who officially withdraw from the university. Faculty assign a 'W' grade only to those students who have a passing average at the time the withdrawal action is officially completed. Otherwise, faculty assigns a “U” grade (failing).
3. Please refer to the academic calendar on the Office of the University Registrar's website for the withdrawal deadline.

The student must contact the Office of the University Registrar in person, by letter, by email, or by fax to withdraw officially from the university. Visit the Office of the University Registrar online or by phone at 512-245-2367 for the proper procedures. Students living in university residence halls must also contact the Department of Housing and Residential Life in person, by letter, or by fax.

Students must indicate their intent to graduate by applying for graduation online at the beginning of their final semester. Texas State celebrates graduates three (3) times a year at the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Please see the academic calendar for the graduation application deadline for each semester. 

Any Texas State student who does not enroll in the university for one long semester (defined as one fall or spring term) but wishes to return to the university after this break in enrollment must submit an application through Apply Texas and complete an online readmission orientation module as required by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Students must earn a Texas State GPA of 3.40 or higher and complete a minimum of 48 semester credit hours at Texas State University in order to graduate Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude.

University Honors Policy

Minimum Degree Requirements

• Undergraduate degrees at Texas State require a minimum of 120 semester hours, including 36 advanced hours (3000/4000 level courses).
• Students must earn at least 9 credit hours of (WI) coursework from Texas State to meet graduation requirements. In rare cases, a student’s degree may require more than 9 credit hours of (WI) coursework. For specific degree requirements, please consult with your academic advisor.

Texas State Residency Requirements

• 25% of the minimum number of hours required for the degree must be completed at Texas State
• At least 24 semester hours of advanced coursework (3000/4000 level) must be complete at Texas State
• At least 12 semester hours of advanced coursework (3000/4000) in the major must be completed at Texas State
• Credit by examination may not be applied toward residency

Repeating Courses
When a course is taken more than once from Texas State, the second grade (first repeat) and all subsequent grades (repeats) are included in computing the Texas State hours attempted, grade points earned, and GPA.

If the last grade in a repeated course is lower than an earlier grade, the last grade is used to determine whether the course fulfills requirements.

A course taken for transfer credit must be repeated as transfer credit to count as a repeat. A course taken at Texas State must be repeated at Texas State to count as a repeat.
 

Repeat Fees
The Texas Legislature eliminated funding to higher education for courses that are attempted three or more times. An attempted course is defined as any course in which a grade is earned on the transcript, including repeated courses and courses dropped with a grade of "W". Refer to Student Business Services website Repeated Courses for more detailed information as well as the appeals process if applicable.

Texas Education Code §54.014 specifies a maximum number of semester credit hours an undergraduate student may attempt while paying Texas resident tuition. Students who exceed the maximum hour limitations will be charged the non-resident tuition rate.

Maximum Hour Limitations:

• First term in Texas public institution prior to fall 1999 - Exempt
• First term in Texas public institution from fall 1999 to summer 2006 - 45 hours over degree program
• First term in Texas public institution from fall 2006 to the present date - 30 hours over degree program

Students should meet with their academic advisor regarding their excessive hours status.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records and guarantees students’ access to their own records. 

Per FERPA, the Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center cannot disclose any information about a student without the student's express written consent via an electronic FERPA waiver in the Bobcat Family Portal. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations require students to meet the following minimum academic standards in order to remain eligible for financial aid:

1. Maintain a minimum cumulative Texas State GPA of 2.00 or higher
2. Complete at least 67% of all coursework attempted
3. Do not exceed a maximum limit of 180 attempted hours toward the degree

Aid Eligibility

As a financial aid recipient, the federal government requires that your aid eligibility only be based on those courses that count toward the completion of your degree. So to be considered a full-time student for financial aid purposes, you would want to enroll in 12 credit hours as an undergraduate (or 9 credit hours as a graduate) that count toward your degree. Remember, to be eligible for most financial aid, you only need to be enrolled at least half-time (6 hours for undergraduates and 5 hours for graduates).

Classes taken toward certificate programs that are otherwise not being applied to degree requirements may not be covered by financial aid.

Under Texas Education Code §54.0065, qualified students will receive up to a $1,000 tuition rebate upon graduation from Texas State. Submit the Tuition Rebate Application to your college academic advising center no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday immediately following your commencement. If you do not graduate because you did not meet the graduation requirements, you will need to complete another form for the next semester in which you are eligible. To earn the rebate, it is particularly important to follow the advice and counsel of the academic advisors.